Learning Life and Love
by Lauren Williams
Summary: Kurama has been over worked to the brink of collapsing, and then he does. What will Hiei do to bring him back. H/K
1. You fall

Learning Life...and Love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own this, nor do I know who does!  
  
Notes: This is my second yaoi fic, but with my favorite yaoi couple. I've been writing for a while now and I am feeling that, yea, you can flame me, am I going to care, yes, and I going to cry about it, no. So I really don't care, I look at them as constructive criticism. So go ahead, light the flame, I don't care!!!!! Anyway I guess this is sort of a mix of my own personal experiences, I'm not gay...I mean the life situation. But I have nothing against them, my uncle was gay, I still loved him. Okay...getting way to personal now, anyway here comes the very first chapter.  
  
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Kurama was walking home in the snow. He was happy in one sense but sad in the other. He was happy because the flower shop her worked for was closed today because of the immense snow. On the other hand, he was totally exhausted and trudging threw the snow wasn't fun.  
  
Kurama missed the company of the fire demon that met with him after school today as well. Kurama guessed that it was to cold for him, never the less he would miss his presents today.  
  
Kurama was dead tired and hoped to get some sleep and homework in before going to his second job as a bus boy at a local restaurant. Life had been tough for him lately. With his obligation to the Urameshi team, work, and school he was burnt out. It was starting to show, he slept in all of his free time, by doing this his grades slipped causing his mother to worry about him.  
  
Ever since his mother had lost her job a few weeks ago Kurama had to take up and extra job and his time was very limited. After school he ran to the flower shop and worked there till five. He had worked there even before his mother became ill because of his natural love for plants. Then after the flower work he had some time to come home and do his homework and if he didn't have to much sleep. Then at seven he had to run out to his new job as a bus boy at a local restaurant. He got home at about eleven and then had to finish his homework. All and all he left no time for friend.  
  
Never the less Hiei, the only person that stayed by him still came to his school and shadowed him. Kurama wished the koorime would come down and walk WITH him but he didn't push the quiet company.  
  
Kurama proceeded to push threw the snow as it started to fall harder. His muscles seemed to ache a lot more these days. He hadn't been eating much and felt weak all the time now. When he got to sleep it was restless and often made him feel eve worse in the morning.  
  
To Kurama the only thing keeping him going was his love for his mother and...someone else. Yes, the fox had a secret love of his own. Hiei, at first it was just a good friendship, but to Kurama, it was more now.  
  
Kurama stopped to catch his breath, he was so tired he wished he could just stop and curl up in the freshly fallen show and go to sleep. He placed a hand to his forehead as another migraine come on.  
  
"Damn, I can't get sick now, if I do who will bring the money in for my family?" Kurama whispered as he placed his hand on the wall next to hi fro support.  
  
A sound behind Kurama made him jump to a fighting stance, he had been way to over worried lately. He was so worried that if something happened to him then his family would go under and loose there house.  
  
All of a sudden a wave of dizziness swept over Kurama and his collapsed into the snow, unconscious.  
  
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Hiei was sitting on Kurama's window sill. It was to cold for him to shadow Kurama today; being a fire demon he didn't like the cold. Also he would stick out like s sore thumb with his black against all this white.  
  
Hiei decided to stay the day In Kurama's warm room; he knew the fox wouldn't mind. He had told Hiei the day before that he was coming home after his stupid school today, something about his work place being closed. Hiei didn't care if the fox came home or not.  
  
His eyes unconsciously fell upon the digital clock in Kurama's room. It read, '2:56', Hiei knew from what Kurama had told him in the past that he was suppose to be home over ten minutes ago, at '2:45'. Hiei was startled when Kurama's human mother burst into the room, Hiei couldn't help but notice the worried look on her face as he concealed himself so she wouldn't spot him.  
  
"Maybe the fox got lost," Hiei said to himself.  
  
"Shuichi Minamino you better be okay," she whispered before she shut the window tight and locked it. Hiei shivered from outside on the tree branch, great now the woman locked it. Hiei thought about breaking back in but the mess would anger Kurama so he didn't.  
  
Having nothing better to do Hiei went in search of his fox. Wait, Hiei paused mid jump. Since when was Kurama, HIS fox?? Hiei, feeling very confused, continued his search for the youko.  
  
Hiei started his search at the school, when no trace of Shuichi was found he turned and went the way that Kurama was know walking home on. That was of course, right after he threatened that if the girl ever asked him out again he would personally cut off her legs so she could never 'go out' with anyone.  
  
Hiei was about to give up when a red blob in the snow caught his attention. He landed gracefully next to it and kicked it slightly. When it rolled over it proved to be a very frozen Kurama.  
  
"Holy Shit fox what did you do?" Hiei asked as he looked over the Kurama- icicle. Hiei tried to warm him with his you-ki but was still exhausted from using the black dragon wave and was still spent.  
  
Without thinking about it to much he picked up Kurama and ran top speed to his home. Hiei burst threw the door, almost knocking it off its hinges.  
  
"Oh dear god, Shuichi, what happened to you my baby?" she cried over her son.  
  
"Where should I put him," Hiei said feeling a little strange in the position he was in.  
  
"Lay him on the couch," she said, and then she ran to go and get some blankets. Hiei took this time to look Kurama over. He was shivering and his face was very pale. His breathing was so slow that Hiei thought it would stop.  
  
Soon Shiori ran back in carrying a lot of blankets but her face seemed confused.  
  
"Move him upstairs and get him out of those wet cold clothes, put him in the bath with warm water to warm his body up. Then dress him in a fresh pair of Pajama's Hiei," she said, he seemed to be under more control but Hiei wasn't sure never the less he did as she told him to do. He felt a little weird stripping down the frozen fox but did it never the less and placed him in what eh thought was cold water but to Kurama's human body it would be warm.  
  
After Hiei thought he had thawed out enough he put him in the clothes Shiori gave him. He felt really weird help Kurama and his human mother so much, but in a way it made him feel good.  
  
Kurama shivered under all the covers that his mother put on him. Hiei sat by the window and was very quiet. A violent jerk from Kurama brought Hiei out of his deep thought. Something was wrong with Kurama.  
  
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Okay, I am done with this chapter. I will only write more if you review, if you don't then I'll just delete the whole story and forget about it. It's really simple review=update! 


	2. You called

Learning life...and love  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho!!!  
  
Notes: Um...you reviewed, sort of...so I decided to give the next chapter a go. I hope you stick with it and like it.  
  
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Hiei was frozen not knowing what to do. He looked over to Kurama, his form shaking under the large comforter that his mother had placed on him. When Hiei took a step towards him his body was once again thrown into a fit of spasms.  
  
Hiei jumped to Kurama's side, he didn't know what to do but thought he had to do something. He grabbed Kurama by the shoulders and held him still. As he was doing this Shiori came back into the room with another blanket.  
  
'The woman is trying to cocoon Kurama!' Hiei thought in his mind.  
  
"I called the doctor," she said quietly as if she owned it to Hiei to tell him. Hiei nodded, he didn't feel like talking right now. (What's new?)  
  
"He said he would be over as soon as he could, but he isn't sure with all the snow. I know he needs it though, he is seriously sick," she just kept talking and Hiei was getting very uncomfortable with her.  
  
"What about his job later?" Hiei asked, he just felt weird not talking.  
  
"I called, told them he was to sick to work, they weren't happy. Shuichi is a very hard worker, and they said this was a busy night," she paused, "they will fire him if he isn't there tomorrow."  
  
Hiei felt angry at that, he was sick he could not help that, they were punishing him? "That's not nice," Hiei mumbled, not hearable.  
  
"I should have noticed something, his grades have been slipping, and he is up to all hours of the night doing homework. What kind of mother am I, how could I not notice?" Shiori started to cry, she looked to Hiei for comfort but he just looked at the ground. "I am going to...call my husband."  
  
Shiori then left the room, leaving Hiei alone with Kurama. Hiei didn't know what to do so he just stood there, and stood there, and stood there. After about twenty minutes elapsed Shiori returned with a man next to her. Hiei felt some sort of protectiveness over Kurama and he didn't want the man anywhere near him.  
  
The doctor paid no attention to the low growls that Hiei was sending him and went to asses Kurama. He shooed Hiei and the sobbing Shiori out of the room and into the hall where they stood in dead silence.  
  
Hiei was wondering what he was doing, for one, why hadn't he fled already and why was he so damn protective of his damn fox? Wait a minute...his fox? Where was this coming from???? Hiei shook his head trying to clear his thought, but it didn't seem to help.  
  
Shiori showed him to the couch and he sat down. She offered him food and drinks but he refused to eat anything. Shiori sat down next to him, once again making Hiei feel uncomfortable.  
  
"He was such a cute boy growing up, but before I knew it he was a big boy and no longer needed me for everything. Then he got a job at the flower shop, he loves flowers, I don't know why. I didn't mind him getting a job; I thought that it was nice for him to learn some more responsibility."  
  
"But then, I lost my job, and my husband's job is going down. Poor Shuichi, he got another job for our family, and then I started to notice his lack of time, he stopped eating, didn't socialize, didn't even come home for more then five hours at a time. I should have stopped him, I should have told him it was enough," Shiori started to cry again. Hiei wanted a one way ticket out of there so much at the moment.  
  
All of a sudden there was a knock on the door. Shiori opened it up and fell right into the arms of her husband, crying heavily. He looked to Hiei who just looked back, they shared no words.  
  
The doctor came out of the room, the look on his face was unmistakable, something was wrong with Kurama.  
  
"What is wrong with Shuichi?" Kurama's stepfather asked.  
  
"Well, he is suffering a severe case of exhaustion that should leave him bedridden for weeks. As an addition to that he is suffering from a very high fever, I gave him some medicine that will have to be given every 4 to 6 hours to help bring it down. He is also very weak so he will need a lot of help with things for now. He was whispering to me, wither he was conscious it was hard to tell but I guess he wanted to see someone or have something named Hiei. I will be back in a week to check on his progress," the doctor said, and then he left.  
  
Shiori turned to Hiei and gave him a small push towards Kurama's bedroom door. Hiei wanted out right then and there but if he jumped out the window then what would Kurama's parents think?  
  
If he jumped out of Kurama's window they might notice his absence without going through the front door. For now he would stay, only because Kurama seemed to want him.  
  
He walked in the room and stood next to Kurama's bed. "You were calling for my fox?" he asked gruffly. Kurama seemed to be semi-conscious.  
  
"There going to fire me, aren't they," Kurama said, it was weak and he looked like it hurt him to speak. "I know they will, the owner really doesn't like me...he can't fine any fault. He gets so mad."  
  
"Yes, he will," Hiei said, it was short and to the point.  
  
"Hiei, you have no idea...what this will do to my family," Kurama said taking a sharp intake of breath. "We need the money so bad."  
  
"Your in pain aren't you, you are such a stubborn fox," Hiei said.  
  
"Not that much," Kurama lied, his chest was tight and it burned to talk. Hiei, without being told lifted Kurama to a half sitting, mostly laying position on his bed and his pain almost disappeared right away.  
  
"I need you to help me out Hiei," Kurama said, this time he was very serious.  
  
"Hn," Hiei said, he was listening.  
  
"My mother, she is getting older, she needs help around the house and my stepfather isn't home all that much. Please help her out, I know it is very unlike you but please try." Kurama took a deep breath, his fatigue was showing. He slid back down to a laying position and then he whispered out, "And please stay with me, if only for tonight, stay with me."  
  
And with that, he was asleep.  
  
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I know it is really short, but little is better then none. Please just review to let me know that you are still interested! 


	3. You hurt

Learning Love and Life  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own it...how many times do I have to tell you!!!!  
  
Notes: I know I have been really busy, I have had a lot of obligations with softball and shit like that. I made captain for my JV team so I have been really busy. Anyway, here is the next chapter so, um, I hope you like it.  
  
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Hiei didn't move for a while after Kurama had asked him to stay. Why would the fox want him there? Hiei was almost startled when Kurama's mother came through the door.  
  
"Is everything alright Hiei?" she asked quietly.  
  
"The f...I mean Shuichi asked me to stay," Hiei said catching his words quickly. He looked to see if she had caught him but she was staring at Kurama again.  
  
"He will be fine, I just know it," she told Hiei before she left.  
  
Hiei wanted to leave, he didn't belong here with these humans...but Kurama had asked him to stay. Hiei was torn between his loyalties and his common sense. Finally the first one and he sat down on the window sill.  
  
Before he knew it he fell into a deep sleep, in fact if it wasn't for the screaming that Kurama started to do, he just MIGHT have gotten a good night sleep.  
  
Hiei jumped and fell off the window sill.  
  
"Hiei, come back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kurama screamed bloody murder. Shiori came running in and tripped over Hiei who hadn't gotten off the floor yet.  
  
Hiei made no attempt to help her up but instead went to Kurama. In his fevered state he could blab their secret.  
  
"No Hiei, come back, I, I love you Hiei," Kurama said as silent tears fell down his checks. Hiei didn't have anything to say, nor did Shiori.  
  
Hiei looked to the window; it was shut, and locked. That sort of shut that escape off, Shiori looked at Hiei and he turned his head to avoid her gaze.  
  
What happened next surprised Hiei right out of his skin! Shiori went up to Hiei and hugged him. "Welcome home Hiei," she said, Hiei was confused, and didn't the fact that Kurama liked the same sex bother his human mother in the slightest.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," Shiori said, she had finally pulled away from the hug. "I figured that Kurama was like this for a while now, he never did express any emotion towards girls and I happen to know that they were hanging all over him in school, so I just figured it," she said looking at him with saddened eyes.  
  
"But do you love him?" she asked.  
  
Hiei had thought about it, but he couldn't, he wouldn't allow himself to be in love with a tricky and crafty fox. But then again, as Kurama's heart wanted him, he wanted Kurama.  
  
But he couldn't love, he was a fire demon, the forbidden child, how could Kurama love someone like him. He wasn't worthy of his love. Hiei's eyes cast downwards. (He is doing that a lot isn't he?) He wanted to but couldn't.  
  
Shiori had been watching Hiei carefully ever since she asked him that question. He seemed confused with what he wanted. She didn't want to push him so as he was thinking she stepped out.  
  
It took Hiei a while to realize she was gone, but when he did, he ran, he ran like he had never ran before. Did he have a destination...not really, more like anywhere Kurama was not.  
  
He didn't want to leave Kurama after he has asked him personally to stay but...no this was an exception.  
  
Hiei was positive that Kurama didn't want him to know that he liked him, so when Hiei stopped in a tree it wasn't that much of a shock when it just happened to be the fox's window. The snow was still coming down and the window was mostly frosted up but he could see Shiori in there tending to Kurama.  
  
He looked a bit worse to Hiei and a slight feeling of guilt came over him. He quickly shook it off; if Kurama was getting worse it wasn't his fault.  
  
His attention was thrown downwards when a sound of a back door opening startled him. He looked down to see Shiori looking up at the sky. She seemed to be crying, was this his fault as well?  
  
Hiei watched her mouth start to move in some sort of a prayer. Was she praying for Kurama's life, Hiei's stomach churned.  
  
Before he could stop even himself he jumped from the tree and ran into the house and up the stairs to Kurama's room. Kurama's breathing was very heavy and labored. Sweat was rolling down his face and his body twitched every now and then.  
  
"Kurama!" Hiei said quietly as he stumbled towards Kurama's shaking form. "Kurama's I'm sorry, please don't die," Hiei exclaimed as he fell to his knees.  
  
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Oh boy, I have to go to bed; its soooooooooooo late and I have school tomorrow. Hope you like it so far, if you do review, oh hell, if you don't review, so what I am trying to say is...review. 


	4. You learn to love

Learning life and love  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own it, okay, get over it!  
  
Note: I am so sorry about the time gap. I have been totally burnt out. I have school in the morning, softball in the afternoon, and basketball in the evenings. I am totally out of it lately. But, since my ankle has been bothering me lately I have found some time for you. So I hope you all have forgiven me, or will. Anyway let's cut to the chase and get on with the story.  
  
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Hiei grabbed Kurama's hand and screamed at him. "Damn it Kurama, wake up! Come you damn fox open your eyes." Hiei had tears at the brim of his eyes. Kurama looked so lifeless and his body was emitting such heat from it.  
  
Hiei took the soft cloth off of his forehead and re-wet it in ice cold water that nipped at his skin. Then he gently placed it on Kurama's sweaty forehead.  
  
Hiei was so caught up in Kurama he didn't even notice Shiori leaning on the door drying her tears at the sight.  
  
"Hiei, you came back," she finally said.  
  
Hiei's head turned to her at the sound of her voice. He was very jumpy because he had forgotten about her. Then he gruffly said, "Yea, I came back."  
  
"I called the doctor but the phone lines are down in the area he lives in so I couldn't get in touch with him," she told Hiei. Hiei felt fear rise up in his chest. No one could help Kurama, what kind of world is this that doctors don't come when called. Hiei was snapped out of his thoughts when Shiori came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"He looks better, now that your back. As soon as you left he started to call your name...almost as if he could tell you had left," she informed Hiei.  
  
Hiei wasn't all that surprised; Kurama's sense of smell is a lot better then the human mother gave it credit for. Hiei almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a weak grip on his hand.  
  
"Kurama?" Hiei said softly, he had forgotten about Kurama's mother and he really didn't care at the time.  
  
Kurama's eyes slowly opened, they had a glaze over them...but they were open.  
  
"H-Hiei, you c-came back." Kurama said with a small bit of difficulty.  
  
"Yea, I'm back. You okay?" Hiei asked, trying not to show too much concern, though he really was.  
  
"Weak, and a bit hungry," he said.  
  
"I will make you some soup honey," Shiori said and left the room.  
  
"Hiei, a-about what I t-t-told you," Kurama said avoiding his gaze.  
  
"Don't say anything fox. Let me speak first," Hiei said, and then he took a very deep breath.  
  
"I have had some time to think about this. Considering my position, and yours as well. I must say at first I was shocked, damn I was so confused. But then I had a talk with you mother, she said something's that made a lot of sense to me. And now I think I have a confession for you as well. I never thought it would work out, I wanted to run. Hear that, me the great forbidden child wanted to high tail it. But then it came to me, I couldn't you needed me and you loved me. Not many to you know, and thinking about it deeply, I...well I think....that I just might love you back," Hiei let out a deep breath.  
  
Kurama's eyes were wide now...he hadn't been expecting for Hiei to actually love him. Don't get him wrong, he was happy that Hiei loved him back but he was in a bit of shock. Where did that come from?  
  
Hiei all of a sudden felt his heart drop. 'Oh shit, he was dreaming when he told me this, he didn't know that I knew. Shit, what if it was just a dream and not real, damn it I have told him I loved him to. What if he laughs at me, or tells me to leave him for ever, God I couldn't do that,' Hiei was in deep thought. Hiei was startled when he felt arms around his neck and warm lips against his own.  
  
Now as we all know, mothers pick the about absolute worse times to come into our rooms and at that time Shiori decided to make her entrance with the soup she had went to fetch.  
  
"Oh dear, well I guess you really are feeling a lot better Shuichi so I will leave this soup to you and Hiei to share," she said as she placed the bowl down and left.  
  
They both were a little stunned for a while.  
  
"Shit, my mother, what is she thinking right now," Kurama cursed.  
  
Hiei looked a bit weird at Kurama for his harsh language. "She is fine with it fox, she told me, right after she welcomed me into your family," Hiei said calming Kurama down immediately. "Now, about that mouth of yours," Hiei said and caught his lips in another kiss.  
  
~*~  
  
Hiei stayed with Kurama till he was able to get up and walk and do other things by himself. When Kurama was fully healed he asked Hiei to stay with him at his home, they could share a room as long as Shiori didn't object to it.  
  
Kurama was actually surprised when she didn't. He was snapped back into reality when she came home the next day with an extra futon.  
  
And Hiei, well Hiei was as happy as a forbidden fire demon could be. He will with the one he loved and the one that loved him back and he was surrounded by his good friends. Even if he didn't let them know that.  
  
~**~  
  
END 


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